Air conditioner having humidifying function

Abstract

An air conditioner having an improved humidifying portion to humidify air in a room is provided. The humidifying portion includes a humidifying member having hygroscopicity and gas permeability, a first air flow passage for taking in air from the outdoors, passing the air through the humidifying member, allowing the humidifying member to absorb moisture included in the air for drying, and letting out the air outdoors, and a second air flow passage for taking in air from the room, passing the air through the humidifying member while heating the air, allowing the moisture absorbed by the humidifying member to evaporate and humidify the air and letting out the air into the room. Thus, only a single air intake opening for humidifying indoor air is necessary on the indoor side, the structure of the air conditioner can be simplified and compact, which makes easier the attachment. If the air conditioner is apart from the outdoors, outdoor air does not have to be taken in, the blowing load and the noise level can be reduced, and reduced power consumption is required compared to a conventional device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An air conditioner having a humidifying portion for humidifying air in a room, said air conditioner comprising:   a humidifying member having hygroscopicity and gas permeability;   a first air flow passage for taking in air from the room, passing the air through said humidifying member, allowing said humidifying member to absorb moisture included in the air to dry the air, and letting out the air outdoors;   a second air flow passage for taking in said air from said room, passing said air through said humidifying member while heating said air, allowing said moisture absorbed by said humidifying member to evaporate and humidify said air, and letting out said air into said room, said humidifying portion, said first air flow passage, and said second air flow passage forming an indoor unit;   a plurality of pipes passing through a hole formed in a wall to connect said indoor unit and an outdoor unit including a tubing cover; and   a ventilation path provided through said hole such that indoor air let out from said indoor unit can be exchanged with outdoor air; said tubing cover encompassing and protecting said plurality of pipes and said ventilation path at an outdoor side end of said hole while partitioning said plurality of pipes and said ventilation path, said tubing cover is provided with a ventilation opening in the vicinity of an air inlet/outlet of said ventilation path, said ventilation opening having a screen to prevent insects from coming into said ventilation path from the outdoors; said tubing cover has a weathertight cover covering said ventilation opening for preventing outdoor wind or rain from coming into said ventilation path from said ventilation opening, and said weathertight cover is attached to said tubing cover such that air passed through said ventilation opening is directed in a predetermined direction regardless of an orientation in which said tubing cover is attached.   
     
     
       2. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, further comprising a driving portion to rotate said humidifying member so that the absorption of said moisture through said first air flow passage and the evaporation of said moisture through said second air flow passage are continuously performed. 
     
     
       3. The air conditioner as recited in claim 2, further comprising an accommodation portion for accommodating said humidifying member to allow passage of said air therethrough, and a driving force transmitting member for transmitting driving force to rotate said humidifying member from said driving portion to said accommodation portion, said accommodation portion and said driving force transmitting member being integrally formed. 
     
     
       4. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, further comprising a switching portion provided commonly to said first and second air flow passages for alternately switching letting out of said air passed through said humidifying member to one of said room and said outdoors. 
     
     
       5. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, further comprising: wherein said plurality of pipes include a refrigerant pipe and a duct for exchanging indoor air let out from said indoor unit and outdoor air passed through said hole formed in the wall, said refrigerant pipe is formed by coupling first and second pipe portions with a connecting member having a diameter larger than each said pipe portion, and a contact prevention portion for preventing said connecting member and said duct from contacting each other is formed on a surface of said duct opposite to said connecting member when said duct is provided in the vicinity of said refrigerant pipe.   
     
     
       6. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a duct having one end connected to said indoor unit, and the other end inserted into the end of said hole on an indoor side for exchanging indoor air let out from said indoor unit and outdoor air, wherein said the other end of said duct has a cross sectional shape in coincidence with the shape of a remaining region in the cross sectional area of said through hole after said number of pipes are passed through.   
     
     
       7. The air conditioner as recited in claim 1, wherein said weathertight cover is provided with a ventilation portion at a position opposite to said predetermined direction to let wind into said weathertight cover. 
     
     
       8. An air conditioner having a humidifying portion for humidifying air in a room, said air conditioner comprising: a humidifying member having hygroscopicity and gas permeability;   a first air flow passage for taking in air from the room, passing the air through said humidifying member, allowing said humidifying member to absorb moisture included in the air to dry the air, and letting out the air outdoors;   a second air flow passage for taking in said air from said room, passing said air through said humidifying member while heating said air, allowing said moisture absorbed by said humidifying member to evaporate and humidify said air, and letting out said air into said room;   an air intake duct containing said first and second airflow passages;   a first fan;   a second fan;   a motor;   a first exhaust duct containing said first airflow passage, said first exhaust duct being in fluid communication with said first fan;   a second exhaust duct containing said second airflow passage, said second exhaust duct being in fluid communication with said second fan; and   a heat exchanger containing said humidifying member, said heat exchanger being in fluid communication with said first and second fans and said air intake duct, said heat exchanger being rotated by said motor, whereby indoor air is substantially humidified without a separate water supply.   
     
     
       9. The air conditioner as recited in claim 8, further comprising a belt coupled to said heat exchanger, said motor further includes a cylindrical gear for driving said belt. 
     
     
       10. The air conditioner as recited in claim 8, further comprising a first gear coupled to said heat exchanger, said motor further includes a second gear for driving said first gear. 
     
     
       11. The air conditioner as recited in claim 8, further comprising a first member having a high friction coefficient adhesively fixed to an outer circumference of said heat exchanger, said motor further includes a second member having a high friction coefficient for driving said second member, said motor further includes mounting springs for adjusting pressure between said first and second members. 
     
     
       12. An air conditioner having a humidifying portion for humidifying air in a room, said air conditioner comprising: a humidifying member having hygroscopicity and gas permeability;   a first air flow passage for taking in air from the room, passing the air through said humidifying member, allowing said humidifying member to absorb moisture included in the air to dry the air, and letting out the air outdoors;   a second air flow passage for taking in said air from said room, passing said air through said humidifying member while heating said air, allowing said moisture absorbed by said humidifying member to evaporate and humidify said air, and letting out said air into said room;   a fan;   a switching portion provided commonly to said first and second air flow passages for alternately switching letting out of said air passed through said humidifying member to one of said room and outdoors, said switching portion being in fluid communication with said fan;   a first exhaust duct containing said first airflow passage, said first exhaust duct being in fluid communication with said switching portion;   a second exhaust duct containing said second airflow passage, said second exhaust duct being in fluid communication with said switching portion; and   a heat exchanger containing said humidifying member, said heat exchanger being in fluid communication with said fan and said air intake duct, whereby indoor air is substantially humidified without a separate water supply.